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E/CN.17/1998/2/Add.1 |
Economic and Social Council
Distr. GENERAL
20 April-1 May 1998
ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
Economic and Social Council
Commission on Sustainable Development
Sixth session
20 April-1 May 1998
Strategic approaches to freshwater management
Report of the Secretary-General
Addendum
Report of the Expert Group Meeting on Strategic Approaches to
Freshwater Management (Harare, 27-30 January 1998)
Contents
Paragraphs Page
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6 2
II. Strategic approaches for freshwater management:
policy options for consideration by the
Commission on Sustainable Development and policy
makers: an overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-14 2
III. Key recommendations for an integrated approach
to freshwater resources management . . . . . . . 15-40 4
A. General. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-17 4
B. Capacity-building. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 4
C. Information management . . . . . . . . . . . 19-20 4
D. Environment and development. . . . . . . . . 21-23 4
E. Economics and finance. . . . . . . . . . . . 24-28 5
F. Participation and institutions . . . . . . . 29-33 5
G. International cooperation. . . . . . . . . . 34-40 6
IV. Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41-42 6
I. Introduction
1. The Expert Group Meeting on Strategic Approaches
to Freshwater Management (Harare, 27-30 January 1998)
was hosted by the Government of Zimbabwe and organized
by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the
United Nations Secretariat. The main objective of the
Meeting was to provide an expert contribution to the
discussion of the topic "Strategic approaches to freshwater
management" by the Inter-sessional Ad Hoc Working
Group of the Commission on Sustainable Development
(New York, 23-27 February 1998) and by the Commission
itself at its sixth session (New York, 20 April-1 May 1998).
2. The Meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Robert Ainscow
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland and Mr. Sibekile Mtetwa of Zimbabwe. At the
opening of the Meeting, the Honorable Mrs. Joyce Mujuru,
Minister of Rural Resources and Water Development of
Zimbabwe, delivered a statement of behalf of the host
country. The Meeting was attended by more than 170
experts from developed and developing countries and
countries with economies in transition, international
organizations both within and outside the United Nations
system, and non-governmental organizations and major
groups of the civil society.
3. In addition to the plenary meetings, four working
groups were established in order to ensure an in-depth
consideration of a number of specific themes on the agenda,
as follows: Working Group I (Water as the key resource in
sustainable development); Working Group II (Freshwater
ecosystems and water quality); Working Group III
(Economic and financial issues); and Working Group IV
(Participation and institutions for integrated water resources
management). The deliberations in each of the working
groups were led by two Moderators, as follows: Working
Group I, Mr. James Bruce (Canada) and Ms. Krishna Singh
(India); Working Group II, Mr. Ingvar Andersson (Sweden)
and Mr. Armando Bertranou (Argentina); Working Group
III, Mr. Torkil Jonch-Clausen (Denmark) and Mr. Se'kou
Toure' (Co^te d'Ivoire); and Working Group IV, Mr.
Mohammed Jellali (Morocco) and Mr. Jean Claude Vial
(France).
4. The participants noted a number of recent or
forthcoming regional and international activities related to
freshwater, in particular the adoption of the Cape Town
Declaration of December 1997 and the preparations for the
ministerial meeting on water resources and sustainable
development to be held in Paris in March 1998.
5. The participants expressed their appreciation to the
Government and people of Zimbabwe for hosting the
meeting and the hospitality extended to its participants.
They also expressed their gratitude to the sponsors of the
Meeting the Governments of Denmark, France, Ireland,
the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom and to
the European Commission.
6. The report of the Meeting is presented as the
Co-Chairmen's summary, prepared in collaboration with
the Moderators; it assesses the overall outcome of the
Meeting and draws a number of key conclusions from the
discussions held. The full report of the Meeting, in addition
to the Co-Chairmen's summary, also contains the reports
of the four working groups. They outline in much greater
detail the main recommendations and proposals made by
the participating experts regarding actions required at the
local, national and international levels in order to
expedite the implementation of chapter 18 and other
water-related provisions of Agenda 21. Some of the proposals and
recommendations included in the report may not enjoy the
support of all of the participating experts, and may
therefore need to be further discussed in the future, in
particular in the context of the policy dialogue on the
strategic approaches to freshwater management under the
aegis of the Commission on Sustainable Development.
II. Strategic approaches for freshwater
management: policy options for
consideration by the Commission on
Sustainable Development and policy
makers: an overview
7. The rationale for sustainable development and the
links between development and environment were clearly
articulated in Agenda 21. The specific proposals concerning
freshwater in chapter 18 and other related provisions
continue to be a basis for action. Since 1992, some
countries have made progress on a path towards
implementing the recommended actions at the national and
local levels through the adoption of integrated approaches
to freshwater management. There are a number of areas,
outlined in the present report, that continue to build on
Agenda 21. Nonetheless, there are other areas where more
strategic actions are still needed in order to adapt to
continually changing social and environmental
circumstances, and to address the fundamental concerns of
poverty alleviation, public health, food security and energy
generation.
8. Demands for freshwater are driven by increases in
population growth and sectoral pressures for both
consumptive and non-consumptive uses. Sectoral demands
include agriculture (irrigation and drainage), the provision
of domestic water supply and sanitation, industry, energy
generation, environmental requirements, amenity and
tourism. The nature of these demands are further
complicated by changes in patterns of consumption as a
result of industrialization, rural/urban shifts, migration and
unaccounted for water, and are set against clear limits and
variability in the available resource. It is increasingly clear
that unprecedented demands for water supplies are resulting
in continued degradation of the resource base and
intensified competition for high-quality water. A
characteristic of these stresses is that all their components
are not equally distributed in time and space.
9. There is evidence of progress in improving some
aspects of freshwater resources management since 1992.
Marked improvements in water quality have occurred in a
number of river basins where public pressures for action
have been strong. Lower discharge of toxic substances have
reduced public health risks and improved the habitats of
fish and wildlife in some river basins. New technologies
and water demand management have resulted in improved
efficiency in water use in irrigation, industrial processing
and municipal supplies. Improved soil and water
conservation through the explicit linkage of water with land
and forestry policies has halted land degradation in
vulnerable landscapes. Institutions for integrated water
management have been strengthened in several developing
countries, along with the adoption of new or improved
water policies, information systems and action plans
resulting in improvements in water-use efficiencies, water
quality and related ecosystems. Industrialized countries are
replacing outmoded policy and regulatory frameworks as
circumstances and socio-economic circumstances change.
Several initiatives to establish comprehensive and
participatory river basin management, including
international river basins, are replacing purely
administrative and technical solutions. International
networks in support of integrated water resources
management have been created.
10. However, although many lessons have been learned,
overall progress has been neither sufficient nor
comprehensive enough to reduce the general trends of
increasing water shortages, deteriorating water quality and
growing stresses on freshwater ecosystems. There is a
compelling case for integrating these approaches to
freshwater management into national economic frameworks
as key elements in policies for sustainable development and
poverty alleviation. Socio-economic productivity can be
enhanced and environmental integrity conserved as a result
of such integration.
11. Integrated water resources management within a
national economic framework is essential for achieving
efficient and equitable allocation of water resources and
thus for promoting sustainable economic development and
poverty alleviation. The adoption of an integrated approach
to the environmentally sustainable management of water
resources is also fundamental for protecting freshwater
ecosystems, water quality and human health. At the same
time, the financial sustainability of the water sector
together with policies for financial burden-sharing and for
ensuring access by the poor are a prerequisite for the
successful implementation of integrated water resources
management. In order to be effectively implemented,
integrated water resources management should also include
institutional and legal capacity-building, human resources
development and participatory approaches. The basis for
a strategic approach to integrated freshwater management
can be founded on a set of key elements that bring together
all the relevant parties and their particular socio-economic
and environmental concerns that are bound by freshwater.
12. Most decisions and actions related to water take place
at the local, subnational and national levels since physical
and socio-economic settings are diverse. However, local
actions may have national and even regional implications
for related areas of natural resource management.
13. There is much to be done, but an integrated approach
is the way forward since it offers a means of reconciling
competing demands with dwindling supplies, as well as a
framework in which hard choices can be made and effective
operational actions can be taken. It is valuable for all
countries and at all stages of development.
14. The view of the Meeting was that the future will
present many challenges for the sustainable development
of freshwater resources. Nevertheless, the judgement of the
experts was that in spite of the current serious concerns
regarding scarcity and degradation of the quality of
freshwater resources in large areas of the world, water need
not become a limiting factor for sustainable development
and human welfare. A series of crises, potentially with
regional and even global implications, can be averted if
vigorous action is taken now to establish an integrated
approach to freshwater resources management. Key
recommendations in this regard are set out below .
III. Key recommendations for an
integrated approach to freshwater
resources management
A. General
Sustainability
15. There is a need to recognize water as a social and
economic good with a vital role in the satisfaction of basic
human needs, food security, poverty alleviation and the
protection of ecosystems. The principle of sustainability
must underpin an integrated approach to managing
freshwater resources in order to maintain and extend the
benefits derived from natural freshwater systems.
Water policy and integrated management
16. As recommended in Agenda 21, it is essential for all
countries to develop national and where relevant
subnational water policies, and to continually review such
policies as circumstances change. Fundamental to this
process is the concept of an integrated approach to the
planning, allocation, development and management of
freshwater resources at the level of river basins and
aquifers. The basic management unit should be designated
in such policies as river basins and aquifer units.
Management of the resource
17. The management of the demand for and allocation of
water resources should be based on principles of equity and
efficient use to promote sustainable development, including
health, the satisfaction of basic human needs, food security
and environmental protection.
B. Capacity-building
18. Institutional and human capacities at the national and
local levels will need substantial strengthening if an
integrated approach is to be implemented. The need to
strengthen capacity at local levels is especially strong since
the training of local entrepreneurs has an important role in
implementing actions. There is also a need to promote the
use of indigenous technologies and knowledge in addition
to the transfer of appropriate technologies.
C. Information management
Information management
19. There is a need to finance, establish and maintain
effective data collection and dissemination, information
management systems and research in order to provide a
sound basis for policy formulation, planning and
investment decisions, and the operational management of
freshwater resources. The collection of all freshwater
resource and related socio-economic and environmental
data and information needed for policy decisions, planning
and management action and monitoring should have a high
and continued priority.
Indicators of progress
20. Governments need to adopt, implement and monitor
national water-related indicators of progress in achieving
integrated water resources management, including water
quality objectives, which should take account of the work
of the Commission on Sustainable Development in this
area.
D. Environment and development
Ecosystem integration
21. The conservation of freshwater and related
ecosystems is vital to sustainable development. Such
ecosystems are themselves users, water regulators and
providers of freshwater-based resources, including
fisheries. It is therefore necessary to promote an ecosystem
approach in integrated water resources planning,
development and management, within the framework of
river basin and aquifer systems.
Human interactions with the environment
22. There is a need to ensure that effective local and
national systems are in a position to bring about productive
and sustainable interactions between human activities and
the ecological functioning of freshwater systems, and to
minimize downstream impacts, including on estuarine and
marine environments, and to reduce losses from droughts
and floods.
Water quality and environmental sanitation
23. There is a need to safeguard water quality as regards
human health, productive uses of water and the protection
of freshwater ecosystems. There is a need to implement
measures including sanitation programmes, which have
been notably neglected to safeguard water quality,
recognizing that poor environmental sanitation is the
leading cause of human sickness in developing countries.
E. Economics and finance
Economics
24. Water planning and management needs to be
integrated into the national economy, recognizing the vital
role of water for the satisfaction of basic human needs, food
security, poverty alleviation and ecosystem functioning,
and taking into account the special conditions of non-monetary
sectors of the economy.
Allocation
25. Water needs to be considered as a finite and
vulnerable resource and a social and economic good, and
the costs and benefits of different allocation social,
economic and environmental need to be assessed. The use
of various economic instruments are important in guiding
allocation decisions.
Accountability
26. It is essential to ensure efficiency, transparency and
accountability in water resources management as a
precondition for sustainable financial management.
Covering costs
27. All costs must be covered if the provision of water is
to be viable. Subsidies for specific groups, usually the
poorest, may be judged desirable within some countries.
Wherever possible, the level of such subsidies and who
benefits from them should be transparent. Information on
performance indicators, procurement procedures, pricing,
cost estimates, revenues and subsidies needs to be provided
in order to ensure transparency and accountability, maintain
confidence and improve investment capacities in the water
sector.
Financial resources
28. Increased financial resources will need to be
mobilized for the sustainable development of freshwater
resources if the broader aims of sustainable economic and
social development are to be realized, particularly in
relation to poverty alleviation. Evidence that existing
resources are being used efficiently will help to mobilize
additional finance from national and international sources,
both public and private.
F. Participation and institutions
Participation
29. There is a need to ensure the implementation of
participatory approaches to freshwater resources
management, based on the recognition of the social and
economic values of freshwater and its related ecosystems.
Programmes to raise awareness of the issues, particularly
among youth, are important. It is important that
stakeholders at all levels be involved in a transparent
approach for policy- making, planning and management,
as a "bottom-up" and "top-down" process.
Legislative and regulatory framework
30. A legislative and regulatory framework should be
established in order to facilitate integrated water resources
management strategies, and to ensure that the capacity
exists to apply legislation and enforce regulations. Such a
framework should be conducive to private-sector
investment and the involvement of local service providers.
Institutional development
31. There is a need to design and adapt institutions to
effect an integrated approach to policy analysis and
integrated water resources management for specific
environmental and socio-economic settings. The role of
government needs to be clearly defined, with a distinction
between the functions of standard and regulation setting and
control, on the one hand, and the direct management and
provision of services on the other, as well as between the
role of government at all levels and that of the private
sector and other stakeholders.
Partnership
32. The establishment of an enabling environment should
be promoted, with specific mechanisms that facilitate
partnerships between public, private and community
organizations, local authorities, non-governmental
organizations and all public and private actors.
Enhancing the role of women
33. Women should have an equal role with regard to
water resources management at the local, national and
international levels.
G. International cooperation
Support for national action
34. International cooperation and partnership in support
of national actions are essential for achieving sustainable
development, particularly in the water sector. This includes
the need to mobilize and provide new and additional
financial resources for developing countries, as set out in
Agenda 21, as well as the need to enhance international
cooperation in such areas as capacity-building, transfer of
technology, research and information exchange.
Promoting a common approach
35. The United Nations system should play an active role
in harmonizing, at the international and national levels, the
recommendations being made to countries for integrated
water resources management strategies.
Information exchange
36. Governments should promote vital information
exchange and dissemination through greater use of the
Internet and other modern means of communication.
Donor-recipient dialogue
37. Governments and the international community need
to strengthen consultation mechanisms for improving
donor/recipient dialogues for the mobilization of financial
resources in a well-targeted and predictable manner, based
on national action plans, with a special focus on integrated
water resources management that recognizes the needs of
the poorest communities.
Regional consultations on drought and flood
preparedness
38. There is a need to establish or strengthen mechanisms
for regional consultations on drought and flood
preparedness, as well as early warning systems and
mitigation plans at the local and national levels, regional
emergency funds and/or collective insurance programmes.
At the international level, there is a need to maintain
support of such activities following the close of the
International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction in 1999.
International watercourses
39. Riparian States are encouraged to cooperate among
each other on matters related to transboundary water
resources, building on existing agreements principles,
arrangements, instruments and programmes of action,
taking into account the interests of all riparian States
concerned. Such efforts, at the common request of
concerned States, may need to be supported through
international cooperation.
Water-related international conventions and
programmes for action
40. In the formulation and implementation of integrated
water resources management policies and programmes,
there is a need to take into account actions to implement a
number of existing conventions and programmes of action
relevant to freshwater, in particular the conventions on
biodiversity, desertification, climate change, wetlands and
international trade in endangered species, as well as the
Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the
Marine Environment from Land-based Activities.
IV. Conclusion
41. The Expert Group Meeting invites the Commission
on Sustainable Development to give consideration to the
general conclusions and recommendations outlined above,
together with the more detailed proposals for action
contained in the reports of the four working groups to be
presented by the Government of Zimbabwe in a separate
report. It is hoped that the Commission will support these
recommendations and proposals for action, thus promoting
an integrated approach to freshwater management at all
levels while ensuring that national action is supported
through adequate means of international cooperation.
42. Furthermore, the Expert Group Meeting recommends
that the Commission invite countries to submit, by the year
2002, information on their national water policies and
related plans, and on progress in their implementation.
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Date last posted: 8 December 1999 15:15:30
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